Aiken

Aiken, city (1990 pop. 19,872), seat of Aiken co., W S.C.; inc. 1835. A resort and polo center and a training area for Thoroughbreds, Aiken has apparel, printing and publishing, drug, and chemical industries. Agricultural products include poultry, livestock, grain, peanuts, cotton, and peaches. Kaolin mines are nearby. A branch of the Univ. of South Carolina is in the city. Nearby is the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant, which long manufactured nuclear weapons and is now the site of a controversial plant processing nuclear wastes.